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Questions & Answers about Una muda leo?
What does una mean here, and where is the verb in the sentence?
Una means you have.
In this sentence, the idea of you is built into u-, and the idea of have is expressed with -na / na. So Swahili does not need a separate word for you or a separate verb like English does in you have.
A simple way to think of it is:
- u- = you (singular)
- na = have / with
So Una muda leo? is structurally very compact.
Why is there no separate word for you?
Because Swahili usually puts the subject inside the verb form.
In una, the u- already tells you the subject is you (singular). That means Swahili often does not need an extra pronoun the way English does.
Compare:
- Una muda leo? = Do you have time today?
- adding wewe would make you more explicit: Wewe una muda leo?
But in normal conversation, wewe is usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis or contrast.
How does this sentence become a question if there is no word like do?